'West Loop' on Serious Eats

Tuna melts are my kryptonite, which explains that whenever I'm at a diner I have to order one. The tuna melt at Palace Grill certainly looks like an impressive, golden, mountain mass of sandwich that you can't wait to get your grubby hands on.
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When Jim Graziano reached out to me to let me know about a muffuletta sandwich special available now through Fat Tuesday, I was beyond intrigued. Though he offered to send a picture, I had no interest in looking at the offering—I wanted to eat it. More

If you guys miss out on the el lomito at La Sirena Clandestina, I will never forgive you. This is one of the best sandwiches I've eaten in a while. Even though I just had it, I want to run over and eat another one. More

Instead of offering a modern interpretation of what a steakhouse could be, Next drew inspiration from the Mad Men era (that's the 50s and 60s for the rest of you). You won't find any deconstructed or overly manipulated dishes on the menu. This is just about pure gluttony and more butter than you could ever dream of. More

Similar to restaurants like Next and Sixteen, iNG changes its entire menu concept every few months. The playful restaurant known for its flavor-tripping Miracle Berry is currently showcasing street food, the first menu by new executive chef, Tim Havidic. More

The first time I ever tried chilaquiles was in Sayulita, a small surfing town on Mexico's west coast. My Spanish was wobbly, so I didn't exactly know what I was getting in to when I pointed at the word on the menu, but I do know that I've been hooked on the stuff ever since. So when I heard about the late-night Chilaquiles (17.95) at Au Cheval, I knew I needed to stay up past my bedtime to see what all the fuss what about. More

What happened to Chicago? When did this meat-obsessed, stock-yard city become so obsessed with vegetables? Not to be outdone, Dave Beran, the executive chef at Next, crafted a 23-course vegan menu for the summer. More

Avec is the biggest score for brunch since Roscoe combined chicken and waffles. And just as at dinnertime, their brunch menu is full of deviceful twists and turns, putting a distinct stamp on the Sunday ritual. More

These supple baozi are stuffed with a luscious mixture of braised pork and served in a smoked trotter broth with crunchy cracklings on the side. Even though this was my second dinner of the night, I could have eaten a dozen more of these things. More

As the new Check, Please! host, Catherine De Orio can't play favorites by naming restaurants that might appear on the show, but she shared several of her favorite places for food that aren't sit-down restaurants. More